Dear Mahatma: Our Walton Heights neighbors are really having a hard time sleeping with all the late-night construction. There have been complaints registered, to no avail. One thing that might offer some hope if, say, we were promised a nice sound barrier like the ones near Kanis Road, Levy in North Little Rock, etc. Any chance the plans include barriers? -- Man on a Hill
Dear Hill: You speak, of course, of the Arkansas 10 (Cantrell Road)/Rodney Parham Road project. We passed through this booger earlier this week on the way to pick blueberries in Perry County. It's quite the thing, this booger.
To refresh: The project aims to improve the Interstate 430 interchange with Arkansas 10 by widening the highway and building a grade-separated interchange at Rodney Parham Road. Work began in June 2020 with estimated completion in early 2023. That's from the idrivearkansas.com website.
We asked the Arkansas Department of Transportation about a sound barrier. We got an answer from the agency's spokesman, David Nilles.
He said a noise study was completed during the environmental impact analysis. The study showed no noise barrier was warranted. That means noise didn't reach required levels to consider a barrier.
He added, somewhat apologetically, that complaints about the noise are about construction, not traffic. Construction is temporary, he said, and ArDot profusely thanks residents for their patience.
In our humble opinion, Lorie Tudor, the agency's director, should show up in Walton Heights with coffee and donuts for everyone. How fun, huh?
Dear Mahatma: I read your column regularly even though it rarely deals with my area of the state. I travel Arkansas 149 daily through St. Francis, Crittenden, and Poinsett counties. It's not an enjoyable drive, sprinkled with potholes and with little or no shoulder on most of it. There are dangerous holes on the edges where the pavement is broken off, such that an unprepared driver would have a hard time maintaining control if hitting one. Please put in a good word for us. -- Mistreated in Crittenden
Dear Crittenden: A look at the map shows Arkansas 149 passes through Greasy Corner. As an Arkansas newspaperman of many years, we're proud to say we've been nearly everywhere. But not Greasy Corner. It's now on the travel list.
The word from the Arkansas Department of Transportation isn't encouraging. The last work done on Arkansas 149 was the resurfacing of 5.5 miles of the roadway south of Marked Tree. Four-foot shoulders were also added.
No repairs are immediately scheduled. Maintenance crews, happily, are monitoring potholes.
Two more things.
First, we welcome questions from east Arkansas and all other compass points.
Second, we would especially welcome information on how Greasy Corner got its name.
Vanity plate seen in Heber Springs: 7DWN8UP. We asked our correspondent what it meant. No clue. Us, either.
Fjfellone@gmail.com